High Stick Nymphing Leader

Tapered nymph 7 to 9 3x knotless tapered leader next a 10 sighter and 3 to 6 tippet usually 4x or 5x.

High stick nymphing leader.

If you re fishing deeper water you may find that using heavier flies will make your high. Your typical 9 foot 5 weight trout fishing setup will work for high stick nymphing. And by high sticking the leader over the water you stay more focused on and in touch with the fly. No discontinuities created by the split shots or strike indicator which only served to dampen your feeling for strikes anyway.

When the euro nymphing leader straightens or pauses it gives you the visual cues to set the hook. A combination of the high sticking method and the leisenring lift both generally referred to simply as high sticking are among the most effective nymphing techniques. But there are some pieces of equipment that you can use to make your high stick nymphing more productive. Also discussed is a simple leader formula i use when going on the water.

High stick nymphing is a common strategy employed by fly anglers fishing nymph flies in the faster deeper water of pockets and short pools and is an extremely effective way to fly fish when there is little or no observed dry fly activity or visibly rising trout. Instead of using a strike indicator however many people just use a weighted fly and short leader with a small split shot about 12 inches above the fly. Basic european nymphing line and leader setup here s a video explaining the advantage of a european nymphing line over a traditional line when euro contact high stick nymphing.